700-Year-Old Chair Getting a makeover for the Coronation of King Charles III

A 700-year-old chair in London’s Westminster Abbey is undergoing careful conservation work by a conservator so that King Charles III can use it for his coronation in May.

It has been the focal point of English coronations for centuries, including those of Henry VIII, Charles I, Queen Victoria, and the late Queen Elizabeth II. The historic throne is referred to as the Coronation Chair.

The chair is described as “one of the most precious and famous pieces of furniture in the world” and is in “great condition” given its age, according to Westminster Abbey, where the event will take place. Before the crowning of the King and Queen Consort on Saturday, May 6, it must still go through some conservation work.

The coronations of 39 kings and queens have taken place in the abbey since 1066, and the oak chair is said to have been made around 1300, according to a statement from the institution. The 6.5-foot-tall chair was built by Edward I to hold the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, which he had obtained in 1296 along with the Scottish crown and scepter. The stone, which had long served as a seat at Scottish monarchs’ coronations, is now retained in Scotland but is reunited with the chair for British coronations. The chair was originally covered with gold leaf and adorned with colored glass, as well as designs of birds, plants, and a king that were painted by Edward I’s master painter.

Punchwork, or small, skillfully placed dots that form designs and patterns, is a feature of the gilding. The chair is being cleaned using sponges and cotton swabs by Krista Blessley, the abbey’s artworks conservator, to get rid of embedded grime, according to Britain’s PA Media. On the chair and its base, which were both renovated in the 18th century, she is also attempting to “stabilize” layers of the gilding that have survived. In an interview with PA, Blessley stated that it was an honor to work on the coronation chair. It’s really special for a conservator to work on something that’s part of a functional collection and still used for the exact purpose it was intended for since it’s so important to the history of our country and the monarchy, the conservator said.

Throughout the previous four months, Blessley has been working on the chair. It has a very intricate layering structure, which makes the gilding on it quite prone to flaking, she told PA. The changes, per the abbey, will be “absolutely unnoticeable” but “will protect the preservation of these antique decorative layers not just for the Coronation but for centuries to come.” While being an older antique than others, the chair is not the oldest one utilized in the ceremony. The 12th-century silver-gilt coronation spoon will be used to administer holy oil to the King as he is being anointed.